Re: Health Insurance

Re: Health Insurance

Hey Tom, since you are all smart and stuff, what are your thoughts on getting a secondary personal insurance plan on top of a work plan? My coverage sucks too, $2500 deductible and I only get 3 doctor visits a year under the copays, anything beyond that I have to pay in full until my deductible is met, I have already used my 3 visits so if anything happens it's all out of pocket. My bank offers a plan for a decent price but I don't know how coinsurance works. Would it make sense to carry double coverage or just hope I don't get sick in the next 9 months?

Also, $25k can happen quickly in the hospital. I was in for 4 days and mine was $30k+ because of all the unnecessary tests they ran. Luckily I was unemployed at the time and was able to quailify for state assistance. Whew.

Re: Health Insurance

The ER bill for my husband's bicycle crash summer before last was nearly 23K. He was only in there for 3 1/2 hours, and that's because he insisted on leaving. CATscans and xrays and cleaning/bandaging his wounds are 23K??? Thank God all we had to cover was a $100 copay, but I still became involuntarily panicky and nauseous looking at the numbers on the "This is not a bill" letter.

We've had Kaiser for a long time (and this was a non-Kaiser hospital), so this was the first time in many years I'd actually seen an itemized statement. I was fucking stunned.

Originally Posted by PotVsKtl

See that guy in the background talking loudly about crab cakes? That's you.

Re: Health Insurance

Originally Posted by locachica73

Hey Tom, since you are all smart and stuff, what are your thoughts on getting a secondary personal insurance plan on top of a work plan? My coverage sucks too, $2500 deductible and I only get 3 doctor visits a year under the copays, anything beyond that I have to pay in full until my deductible is met, I have already used my 3 visits so if anything happens it's all out of pocket. My bank offers a plan for a decent price but I don't know how coinsurance works. Would it make sense to carry double coverage or just hope I don't get sick in the next 9 months?

Also, $25k can happen quickly in the hospital. I was in for 4 days and mine was $30k+ because of all the unnecessary tests they ran. Luckily I was unemployed at the time and was able to quailify for state assistance. Whew.

you mean like a plan like AFLAC? don't. you're better off saving the money and using it to pay your medical bills.

and yes I am very aware of what hospital stays "cost", since that's sort of part of my job. I also know that billed charges are pretty much close to meaningless, nobody has to pay them. your insurer is paying maybe half the amount on the bill. Medicare, about the same. If yoiu're covered by Medicaid, it's materially less than that even.

Re: Health Insurance

Erik, dont be dumb. You should get some sort of insurance coverage for yourself asap. Even if you don't want the works, at least get some sort of emergency coverage for catastrophic events so that if you ever find yourself REALLY sick, at least you will minimize the burden on your family.

Re: Health Insurance

DON'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO.

Actually, my company has bugged me a couple times about turning in the paperwork for it, it's all sitting on my desk..I just need to properly fill it out soon....truth is though, I really don't understand how a lot of it all works. and I'm not sure if the plan is even considered a "good plan" or not. I just imagine it as money I'll be throwing away every month because I don't see myself as someone who is gonna schedule regular doctor and dentist appointments for myself.

Re: Health Insurance

I was in the same boat where I didn't wanna sign up for insurance through my work since I was being cheap and didn't wanna pay for it but finally I caved when they rolled out new plans with the new company. Thank god since I had to see a doctor only a few months afterwards, the routine checkup would've cost me over $500. Think my plan right now has a $300 deductible with 80% coverage and $2,000 max out-of-pocket.

Originally Posted by travelfan

It's a bit unfair though, when I change an MP3 halfway through a song at a party I get yelled at, whereas Skrillex probably got a blow job.

and yes I am very aware of what hospital stays "cost", since that's sort of part of my job. I also know that billed charges are pretty much close to meaningless, nobody has to pay them. your insurer is paying maybe half the amount on the bill. Medicare, about the same. If yoiu're covered by Medicaid, it's materially less than that even.

yeah what's this about anyway? i looked online and saw my insurance only paid like a fifth of it.

Originally Posted by malcolmjamalawesome

It's when we discuss Coachella that we are at our collective dipshittiest.

Re: Health Insurance

I pay $43/week for health insurance. I finally went to the doctor yesterday for the first time in 5 months so I have roughly paid $860 in that time for my insurance, my insurance covers nothing so my visit to the doctor & 3 prescriptions cost me $165 when in the past I would have only spent $50. I am feeling very bitter and angry towards my job today.

Re: Health Insurance

I know we won't have a decision until June, but most political pundits are saying that it's not looking good for Obamacare after todays arguments. I surprisingly agree with them. I'm all for mandating health insurance, but not at the federal level.

Re: Health Insurance

Originally Posted by amyzzz

Don't a lot of employers have open enrollment for health insurance in the next few weeks? SIGN UP THEN, Erik.

Originally Posted by menikmati

I'm not sure if the plan is even considered a "good plan" or not. I just imagine it as money I'll be throwing away every month because I don't see myself as someone who is gonna schedule regular doctor and dentist appointments for myself.

Originally Posted by locachica73

I pay $43/week for health insurance. I finally went to the doctor yesterday for the first time in 5 months so I have roughly paid $860 in that time for my insurance, my insurance covers nothing so my visit to the doctor & 3 prescriptions cost me $165 when in the past I would have only spent $50. I am feeling very bitter and angry towards my job today.

I haven't had insurance since like....2003/4? Last time I had a company provided insurance(SBUX), I had my gf at the time covered also and it raped my biweekly paycheck. I had one emergency room visit (terrible strep) , that i paid my co-pay for. Insurance didn't even finish up the bill, until a year or two ago the hospital kept saying I own them 2 amounts, 1 for $120 and 1 for $200. I thought this is what insurance was for? You do co-pay, they pay rest end of story right? Also two bills for different amounts for the same thing was pretty shady.

It sucks that insurance is something you "need" but for when? We have no idea, you can keep putting a ton of money into this fund. Then you find out somethings wrong with you, then the insurance can't cover it because of this minor implication. It's absurd. People just want to live.

I'm all for a public system that doesn't require a heavy reach into one's pocket. Adding small % to city/state taxes would do a lot better in my mind in comparison to requiring EVERYONE to sign up somewhere and pay X amount. I could get in trouble for not having health insurance? Then drain my already strained income to pay for something that I will barely use? It's all quite flawed. Glad I found a lot of holistic cures for common ailments.

Re: Health Insurance

But you never know when you might need it. It can happen out of the blue. My boyfriend wasn't offered insurance through his work, never thought he would need it, he was barely 30, no illnesses, nothing. He over did it on some recreational drugs, passed out and hit his head on the cement, ended up with a brain bleed and was in the hospital for 2 days, had to have a CT scan and a bunch of other tests and was in the ICU. He is now $30,000 in debt. I would rather pay the $43/wk and $1000 copay if something happens than have a $30,000 bill hanging over my head for a night of stupidity.

Re: Health Insurance

Originally Posted by locachica73

I pay $43/week for health insurance. I finally went to the doctor yesterday for the first time in 5 months so I have roughly paid $860 in that time for my insurance, my insurance covers nothing so my visit to the doctor & 3 prescriptions cost me $165 when in the past I would have only spent $50. I am feeling very bitter and angry towards my job today.

Fuck, that shit sucks. I know how you feel. I really don't even go the hostpital, like ever. It would be nice if they had a pay-out option, but who am I kidding?

Re: Health Insurance

I'm unclear on a so much of this.
How would the government know whether or not someone has purchased Health Insurance?
Would the penalty for not buying mandated insurance simply be cash?
How does the cost of the penalty compare to the cost of the mandated insurance?
Don’t the majority of those who choose not to buy Health Insurance have lower incomes, and thus under a mandate would receive large subsidies anyway?...And if that's the case, are their contributions to the pool that material enough to keep the costs down?
If the mandate portion was found unconstitutional, how does that affect the rest of the bill?

Originally Posted by dj12inches

What makes me qualified? I've watched EVERY fucking episode of American Idol, and every single episode of The Voice...Forget that I won departmental music awards when I was in the 8th grade choir.